The Point: Spring 2018

in audiences and ultimately created a
classic. Its portrayal of what reality could
be reminds people today of the hope
they can have in their community.
“If you just adjust your perspective, life
is good. We don’t have to just look at the
suffering or look at the pain. There is still
something beautiful,” Chandler said.
The Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels
is an example of a modern-day reformation
of art. Traditionally, the floor plan of a
Catholic cathedral is designed to resemble
the cross, leaving the space behind the altar
as a sacred area designated for its priests.
The modernized architecture of the LA
Cathedral, however, provides congregational
seating on three different sides of the altar,
surrounding it as the centerpiece of worship.
Dr. Matt Jenson, Associate Professor of the
Torrey Honors Institute, theologian and
regular visitor at the cathedral, believes that
this interior portrays cultural and religious
justice through the social significance of its
urban reformation. Its radical design allows
laypersons, not just priests and clergymen,
to gather near the altar for worship.
“It’s a combination of justice and liturgy,”
Jenson said of the cathedral, describing
its interior as at once “deeply traditional”
and “very innovative.” While Jenson does
not think the traditional architecture
of a Catholic cathedral necessarily
impedes justice, he does say that this
design “puts a priority on the access of
laypeople to the altar.” Instead of entering
at the cross-shaped back of a standard
cathedral, people enter from both sides
of the arched sanctuary. The altar sits
at eye level, and the choir stands off to
the side, allowing more room for the
congregation to surround the altar.
Another unique artistic element of the
cathedral is its tapestries. Lining the wall
along the pews is the “Communion of
the Saints,” designed by artist John Nava,
which depicts saints throughout history.
According to the cathedral’s website,
Nava’s purpose was to display a diversity
of figures that people today can identify
with. Nava’s hope is that people see these
tapestries and think that “a saint could look
like me.” Some of the figures wear modern
clothing, representing the continuation
of saints from the past to today.
Art is a chain reaction; its movements, a
response to that of the previous generation.
With each era, art molds into a tool people
can use to vocalize their sufferings and find
refuge within hardship. While its format
may diversify, one of the functions of art
then and now remains the same: offering
an oasis from the harshness of reality.
Editor: Brittni Coffeen
Photographer: Caleb Raney
Designer: Christy Hwang
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